Knitting machine



March 3l, 1942. K. HowlE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f'qjb.

l f f MZ K. HowlE 2,278,105

KNITTING MACHINE Filed sept. 2e, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 atente Mar. Si, l@

KNITTI'NG MACHINE Kenneth Howie, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Wildman Mfg. Co., Norristown, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 26, 1940, Serial No. 358,533

13 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines of the full fashioned type having spring beard needles, and more particularly to presser means for such machines. p

In the operation of such a machine, the yarn loops formed around the needles are cast off free of the needle by depressing the beard into an eye formed into the underlying stem. This pressing ordinarily occurs simultaneously with every needle throughout the normal knitting operation.

It is sometimes desirable, however, that only certain ones of the needles be pressed, and, moreover, that they be pressed at a point above the level where the usual pressing operation takes place. In accordance with the present invention, special presser means are provided to attain this result.

In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through a machine at the sinker head portion thereof, the parts being in one position.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1, the parts being in a different position.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the presser element of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the presser element.

Fig. 7a is a plan view of a sinker.

Fig. 7b is a plan view of a divider.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

The needles I are of the spring beard type, and are supported in the usual manner by clamping their lower ends in a needle bar (not shown). These needles are disposed in a straight line. as the machine is of the full fashioned type employed for knitting hosiery.

Sinkersv2 and dividers 3 are arranged as in the usual manner for movement toward and away from the needle row to cooperate with the needles and form the yarn into loops'about the needles. The sinkers and dividers alternate along the needle row, and one of them is located in line with every space between the needles.

movements toward and away from the needle row, they are mounted in grooves 4 in the sinker away, providing an inclined edge I6.

grooves 4 and 6 are only deep enough to receive a small portion along each edge of the sinkers and dividers, so that an open space is left between the sinkers and dividers. Certain of these open spaces receive the presser elements of the invention, as will be described.

Since the major part of each sinker 2 is of thin strip material, it is reinforced at its rearward portion by attachment of plates 8 and 9 on its opposite sides. This reinforces the sinkers against the action of the jacks I0 which drive the sinkers forward. The reinforcing plates 8 and 9 are only as tall as the space between the sinker head base 5 and cover 1, and donot enter the grooves 4 and 6.

The dividers 3 are of thin strip material throughout their lengths, and are not reinforced. Both the dividers 2 and the sinkers 3 areprovided at their rearward ends with upstanding butts which may be engaged by the catch bar I I.

The presser element I2 of the invention is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This presser element I2 is made up of a thin strip portion I3 to which is attached a headpiece I4. One side of the headpiece I4 is recessed to a depth to just receive the strip portion I3so that the one side of the presser element will be flush throughout its length.

The headpiece I4 of the presser element I2 is as wide as the space between the thin strip portions of the adjacent sinkers and divider. By lying in and filling this space, the headpiece is guided against lateral movement by the sinker and divider on opposite sides thereof. The thin strip portion I3 is only as wide as the small space left between the adjacent divider 3 and the reinforcing plate 9 of the adjacent sinker 2. The rearward portion of the presser element I2 is therefore guided against lateral movement. By being thin, the strip portion I 3 not only passes through the narrow space between the divider and the reinforcing plate 9 of the sinker, but passes as well through the narrow space between the upper ends of the jacks I0.

The headpiece I4 of the presser element I2, by being as wide as the space between the forward thin portions of the adjoining sinker and divider, presents a broad face I5 for contact with the beard of the needle. The wide breadth of this face I5 is made possible by taking advantage of the fact that the reinforcing plate 9 does not extend to the forwardend of the sinker 2.

The lower edge of the headpiece, forward of the attachment to the strip portion I3, is cut At its upper forward edge, the headpiece is provided with a raised part II. The height of this raised part is approximately the same as the depth of the cut away part on the lower edge of the headpiece. The rearward edge of the raised part I1 is inclined to form a cam surface I8.

The inclined surface I6 of each presser element cooperates with the rearward inclined surface 2I of one of the projections 20 present between every sinker and divider. These projections 20 extend upwardly from the sinker head base 5 and are contacted at their forward face 23 by the beard of the needles in plain knitting. As the presser element is advanced in a direction toward the needle bed, from its position of Fig. 1, its surface I6 will bear against the surface 2I of projection 20. Continued forward movement of the presser element will cause the headpiece I4 to be cammed upwardly, so that when it is in its fully advanced position of Fig. 2, it will lie above the level which it occupies when it is in its retracted position of Fig. 1.

When the presser element is retracted, the inclined surface I8 of the headpiece will contact the forward face I9 of the cover 1 of the sinker head and cam the presser element downwardly to the lower position it occupies when it is retracted. It will be clear that for this upward and downward camming action to occur, the surface 2| must lie to the rear of the edge I9, a distance which at the greatest is the horizontal distance from surface I8 to surface I6 of the presser element.

It may be observed that the presser element is incapable of up or down movement both when in its advanced and in its retracted position. This is because the vertical distance from the top of the raised part I1 to the lower edge 22 of the presser element is the same as the height of the space between the sinker head base 5 and cover 1, and because the heights of the projections II and are equal and the same as the depth of the cut-away portion providing the surface I6.

To drive the presser elements I2 forward and backward, they are made elongated to extend to the rear of the sinkers and dividers. At their rearwardmost portions, they are made of increased height, and are formed with a notch 24. The lower end of a blade lies in this slot, and the upper end of this blade is secured to a rock shaft 26. Rotation of the rock shaft is preferably under control of a pattern mechanism, so that the presser elements will be automatically advanced or retracted. To limit the retracting movement of the presser element, it may be provided on its lower edge 22 with a lug 21 which will abut against a plate 28 which extends along the machine.

The plate 28 also serves as a rest to support the rearwardmost ends of the presser elements. The presser elements, therefore, do not bear upon the sinker head except at their wide head portions I4.

The presser elements normally lie in their retracted position, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they are entirely inactive during usual knitting operations. At the time they are to be employed, they are urged forward by the blade 25 to the position of Fig. 2. The upward movement of each presser element, due to the cam surfaces I6 and 2|, places the face I5 of that presser at such a high point that the beard of the needle in line therewith is pressed to closed position before the yarn upon the needle has entered the beard.

The yarn consequently passes over the beard and is cast off of the needle as the needle moves downward. When the presser element is then retracted, it is forced downwardly by the action of surfaces I8 and I9, so that the position of Fig. l is resumed.

'I'he location of the head of the presser element at a high position when it is advanced and at a low position when it is retracted is an important feature of the invention. By lowering it when it is retracted, it is entirely out of the way of the movement of the yarn carriers (not shown) which pass back and forth immediately in front of the surface I9. By raising the head of the presser element when it is in its forward active position, its face I5 will press the beard of the needle above the sinker throat, and therefore prior to the entry of the yarn upon the needle under the beard of the needle, as has been noted.

A particular use of the presser elements of this invention is to assist in starting up fabric on bare needles. For this purpose, a presser element is provided for every other one of the needles upon which thefabric is to be started.

. Immediately after the new yarn has been laid against the bare needles by the yarn carrier, the presser elements are advanced and the yarn will therefore be pressed off every other needle as the needles move downward through their knitting stroke. The yarn will then pass to the front and to the rear of successive needles, so that the next yarn laid down will be knit into loops upon all the needles. Regular knitting will thereafter occur in the usual manner.

As an example of starting knitting on bare needles, the production of a complete ladies hose upon a single machine may be considered. This may be accomplished by casting off the heel tabs after they have been knit, and then returning to the needles the instep portion of the fabric. Knitting must then occur beyond the width of the instep to make up the full width of the sole. The presser elements `of the invention are accordingly provided for every other one of the needles which lie beyond the instep of the fabric, on both sides of the fabric.

The presser elements of the invention may also be employed to cause drop stitches for fancy work at any portion ofthe fabric by associating one of the presser elements with each of the needles upon which a drop stitch is to be made.

The presser element per se has been made the subject of a divisional application, Ser. No. 400,838 led July 2, 1941.

I claim:

1. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard knitting needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and of a length to extend from a point adjacent a needle to a point beyond the rear of the sinkers and dividers, and means acting upon the rearward part of said presser element to urge it toward or away from the needle.

2. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard knitting needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a plurality of presser elements disposed between the sinkers and dividers and in line with every other needle and of a length to extend from a point adjacent the needle row to a point beyond the rear of the sinkers and dividers, and means acting upon the rearwardmost part of said presser elements to urge them toward or away from the needle.

3. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard knitting lneedles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and of a length to extend from a point adjacent a needle to a point beyond the rear of the sinkers and dividers, said presser element being wide at its forwardmost portion to present a broad needle contacting surface and being thin .throughout the remainder of its length, and

means acting upon the rearward part of said presser element to urge it toward or away from the needle.

4. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard knitting needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and of a length to extend from a point adjacent a needle to a point beyond the rear of the sinkers and dividers,and means for urging the presser element toward and away from the needle including a rock shaft having a blade extending therefrom into driving engagement with the `rearward part of the presser element.

5. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard knitting needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a plurality of presser elements disposed between the sinkers and dividers and in line with every other needle and of a length to extend from a point adjacent the needle row to a point beyond the rear of the sinkersand dividers, and means for simultaneously urging the presser elements toward and away from the needle including a rock shaft positioned above the rearwardmost portions of the presser element and a blade carried by the rock shaft and depending into driving engagement with the presser elements.

6. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and a divider and movable toward and away from a needle, means for urging the presser element toward and-away from the needle, and means for raising the presser element to an elevated position when it is advanced toward the needle.

7. In a' full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and a divider and movable toward and away from a needle, means for urging the presser element toward and away from the needle, means for raising the presser element to an elevated position when it is advanced toward the needle, and means for lowering the presser element when it is retracted from the needle.

8. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles, sinkers and dividers, and a guide block for supporting the sinkers and dividers. the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and movable in an endwise direction toward and away from a needle. and means for urging the presser element in an.k endwise direction, said presser element and said guide block having cooperating cam surfaces for urging the presser element to an elevated position as it is advanced toward the needles.

9. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles, sinkers and dividers, and a guide block for supporting the sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and movable in an endwise direction toward and away from a needle, means for urging the presser element in an endwise direction, said presser element and said guide block having cooperating cam surfaces for urging the presser element to an elevated position as it is advanced toward the needles, and said presser element and said guide block having other cooperating cam surfaces for urging the presser element to a lowered position as it is retracted from the needles.

10. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles, sinkers and dividers, and a guide block for supporting the sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed .between a sinker and divider and movable in an endwise direction toward and away from a needle, and means for urging the presser element in an endwise direction. said presser element having on its underside a surface inclining upwardly and forwardly of the presser element,` and said guide block providing a cooperating inclined surface to cam the presser element upwardly as it is advanced.

l1. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles, sinkers and dividers, and a guide block for supporting the sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and movable in an endwise direction towardand away from a needle, and means for urging the presser element in an endwise direction, said presser element having on its underside a surface inclining upwardly and forwardly of the presser element, and having on its upperside a surface inclining downwardly and rearwardly of the presser element, and said guide block providing a cooperating surface Vfor each of said surfaces on the presser element to cam the presser element upwardly as it is advanced toward the needle and downwardly as it is retracted.

12. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard needles, sinkers and dividers, and a guide block for supporting the sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and movable in an endwise direction toward and away from a needle, and means for urging the presser element in an endwise direction, said presser element having a cutaway portion at its forward underside providing a forwardly facing inclined surface and having an elevated portion at its forward upperside providing a rearwardly facing inclined surface, said guideA block having a projection extending upwardly into the path of movement of the presser element and providing an inclined surface to .be contacted by said inclined surface on the underside of the presser element to serve to raise the presser element as it is advanced, and said guide block also providing a surface to be contacted by said inclined surface on the upperside of the presser element to lower the presser element as it is retracted.

13. In a full fashioned knitting machine having spring beard knitting needles and sinkers and dividers, the combination of a presser element disposed between a sinker and divider and of a length to extend from a point adjacent a needle to a point beyond the rear of the sinkers and dividers, means acting upon the rearward part of said presser element to urge it toward or away from the needle, and means carried by the machine and lying beneath the' rearwardmost part of said presser element to support the rear end of the presser element and serve as a stop limiting movement of the presser element.

KENNETH HOWIE. 

